Midnight Special – Various Artists

“Midnight Special” is one of the great American songs, with origins a prison work song in the south. This is one of those songs that transcends time, and has been performed in various different styles, with its roots of course being in the blues, the foundation for pretty much all music that I enjoy. “Midnight Special” also makes for a great country tune.

I’ve included a bunch of my favorite versions of the song.

Lead Belly – 1934 recorded at Angola – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrdioqIMtpY

Hoyt Axton – 1963 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7EOurAbQBw

Van Morrison – 1967 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8EEsnarL0s

Little Richard – 1971 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVJO_k8E0Dc

Paul McCartney – 1988 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMmhh1utc5g

Willie Watson – 2014 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUWcPwtHxvA

JD Clayton – 2023 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if_7jTWhCks